Statistics and research release
Gambling Survey for Great Britain (Annual Report 2025): Official statistics
Findings from the Gambling Survey for Great Britain: Statistics on gambling participation, experiences of and reasons for gambling, and consequences from gambling.
Summary
Also published recently
The data being released today contains findings from the third year (2025) of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB). The survey aims to collect data to enable us to further understand:
- who participates in gambling
- what type of gambling activities they participate in
- experiences of and reasons for gambling
- the consequences that gambling can have on individuals and others close to them.
This survey was conducted using a push-to-web approach, with data collected from 20,775 adults aged 18 years and older living in Great Britain. Fieldwork was carried out between January 2025 and January 2026, consisting of 4 waves running quarterly. The survey is commissioned by the Gambling Commission and carried out by the National Centre for Social Research in collaboration with the University of Glasgow.
The push-to-web methodology of this survey means that estimates presented in this report are not directly comparable with results from prior gambling or health surveys and such comparisons should not be used to assess trends over time. The GSGB data outlined in this report represents the third year of a new baseline.
The GSGB, like most other surveys, collects information from a sample of the population. Statistics based on surveys are estimates, rather than precise figures, and are subject to a margin of error (a 95 percent confidence interval). Generally, the larger the sample the smaller the margin of error. The 2025 GSGB survey has a sample size of just over 20,000 participants to minimise the margin of error.
Further details on the GSGB methodology can be found in the GSGB technical report.
All surveys have strengths and limitations, and we have outlined the strengths and limitations of our approach in the data analysis and reporting section of the technical report. We have also published guidance on how to use the statistics from the GSGB.
Key facts
Participation
Nearly half (47 percent) of participants aged 18 and over participated in any form of gambling in the past 4 weeks. Gambling participation was 27 percent when those who only participated in lottery draws were excluded.
A higher proportion of participants gambled online in the past 4 weeks than in person (that is to gamble at a venue or purchase lottery tickets or scratchcards from shops or other vendors), with 38 percent participating in online gambling and 28 percent participating in in person gambling. However, this difference was accounted for by online purchases of lottery tickets. When lottery draw only players were excluded, 16 percent of participants gambled online, and 17 percent gambled in person.
The mean number of gambling activities participants took part in in the past 4 weeks was highest among those aged 18 to 24 with 3.6 activities and subsequently decreased with age to 1.7 activities among those aged 75 or over.
Experiences of and reasons for gambling
When asked to rate their feelings towards gambling out of 10, where 10 represented that they loved it, and 0 represented that they hated it, 42 percent of adults who gambled in the past 12 months rated the last time they gambled with a positive score of between 6 and 10, 36 percent gave a score of 5, expressing that they neither loved or hated it, and 22 percent gave a negative score of between 0 and 4.
The most common reasons for adults to participate in gambling were, for the chance of winning big money (84 percent), because gambling is fun (69 percent), to make money (57 percent) and because it was exciting (53 percent).
Consequences from gambling
The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) is used to measure both behavioural symptoms of gambling disorder and certain adverse consequences from gambling. The PGSI consists of 9 items that are rated on a 4 point-scale. The PGSI categories represent a continuum of risk, ranging from those experiencing no adverse consequences or behavioural symptoms of disorder to those experiencing both.
Among all participants:
- 7.8 percent had a PGSI score of 1 to 2
- 3.5 percent had a PGSI score of 3 to 7
- 2.4 percent had a PGSI score of 8 or more.
The GSGB includes a broader range of adverse consequences from gambling. These aim to add a greater level of insight into the adverse consequences of gambling that are experienced over and above PGSI.
2.7 percent of adults who had gambled in the past 12 months had experienced one or more severe consequence. Experiencing a relationship breakdown due to one’s own gambling was the most reported severe consequence (1.7 percent) among adults who had gambled in the past 12 months. The most frequently reported potential adverse consequences (happening at least occasionally) were reducing spending on everyday items (6.4 percent) and lying to family (5.9 percent).
Help seeking for own gambling
3.4 percent of those who gambled in the past 12 months had sought support because of their own gambling. The proportion of participants who had sought support from each type of service was similar, ranging from 1.4 percent for gambling support services to 1.7 percent for mental health services.
Consequences from someone else’s gambling
The GSGB includes questions about the impact of someone else’s gambling. These questions covered the same set of severe and potential adverse consequences due to one’s own gambling outlined above. Questions were only asked of those who reported someone close to them gambled.
Just over two-fifths (43.2 percent) of all participants reported that someone close to them gambled, even if occasionally.
Help seeking due to someone else’s gambling
Participants who reported that someone close to them gambled were asked whether they had sought any help, support, or information as a result, either online, in person, or by telephone.
Of those who reported that someone close to them gambled, 3.3 percent had sought some form of support.
Details
Please note that the data presented from the GSGB is not comparable to previous gambling survey publications due to changes in the methodology.
Full publication and key information
View the GSGB Annual report (2025).
Publication produced by: National Centre for Social Research and the University of Glasgow.
Publication authors: Ridout, K., Roop, S., Wardle, H., Moore, E., and Sadler, K.
Responsible Statistician: Helen Bryce (Head of Statistics).
Alongside the Annual report 2025, we have published a trends report focusing on trends in key gambling behaviours between 2023 and 2025. The regularity and consistency in data collection for the GSGB over the last 3 years has made this trend report possible.
View the Gambling Survey for Great Britain: Trends Report 2023 to 2025.
Publication produced by: University of Glasgow and the National Centre for Social Research.
Publication authors: Ridout, K., Roop, S., Wardle, H., Moore, E., and Sadler, K.
An additional 2 topic reports provide a deep dive into the consequences of gambling.
Publication produced by: Gambling Commission.
Publication author: Ruddock, H.
View the Exploring demographic differences in adverse consequences from gambling report.
Publication produced by: Gambling Commission.
Publication author: Ruddock, H.
We have also published a think piece 'Different Survey, Same Story' written by Professor Heather Wardle comparing GSGB to the Health Survey Series.
Notes
This publication is primarily for anyone who has an involvement or interest in the gambling industry including government, licensed operators, trade bodies, international regulators, journalists, academic researchers, financial institutions, statisticians, consumers and local authorities.
About the status of official statistics.
Pre-release access to this official statistics release was granted for a period of 24 hours prior to the date set for its publication to the listed people.
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